The gift of a sister

Jun 8, 2017

This post is sponsored by Curash™ Babycare

Just over three years ago when I first became a mum and held my daughter in my arms I felt a sense of completeness. My heart closed in around my baby girl and I was content. That feeling of a pure rush of love is addictive and, call me crazy, I remember having this urge to go through it all again. Yet at the same time I wondered how I could ever possibly love another person nearly as much.

Fast forward to the arrival of my second beautiful baby girl and somehow my heart has doubled in size to make room for these two precious children I have been given the honour of raising.

Whenever people ask me how I am going with two kids my response is always that I didn’t know I was alive until baby number two arrived. It has been quite the shock to the system having to navigate life with two kids by my side. Chaos at times, exhausting mostly. I have been challenged emotionally, mentally and physically and questioned myself more than ever.

But in amongst the battles to get the baby to sleep before the toddler comes barging in to her room demanding more food, what I have loved more than anything is seeing the relationship develop between my two girls.

When Josie arrived, Olivia was smitten, running in to the hospital room each day calling out for her baby sister, telling anyone who would listen that she was a big sister now. She was a brilliant helper, passing me wipes at every nappy change and sitting beside me for every feed.

And while we went through the inevitable stage where Olivia realised that all her baby sister did was sleep and demand my attention, their relationship has only grown stronger. The grins that appear on their faces each morning when they first see each other are infectious. Olivia has a “special” song that she sings to her sister, which although it drives me insane, quietens Josie immediately. They communicate through piercing squeals and giggles, Olivia often telling me that Josie is her best friend forever. Heart. Melting.

Even from this early age I know they have each others backs. My little Josie is quite a congested baby and having an older sister bringing home all the daycare viruses doesn’t help. We use the Curash Sea Water Nasal Spray to help clear her nose so she can breathe more easily. Not keen for anything touching her nose, or anywhere on her face for that matter, Olivia steps in to sing and talk to her so I can give her a quick spray when she needs it. As simple as it sounds, these little tasks and moments together will all add up to a beautiful relationship.

One thing I have learnt about being a mum of two is that two kids doesn’t mean twice the mess. It somehow multiplies at an exponential rate of the number of minutes the children are left unsupervised. Just as you turn your head to tell the toddler to stop climbing on the lounge, the baby throws her bowl full of sweet potato puree all over the floor. The mischief two kids can get up to, even when one is only 7-months-old is also unparalleled. I seriously looked down for thirty seconds to scroll through the photos I had just taken when I looked up to see wipes everywhere. At least the Curash Aloe Vera and Chamomile wipes have a lovely scent! Note to self: shrieks of laughter and silence should be equally investigated…

While I often get those pangs of guilt that Josie doesn’t get nearly as much attention as Olivia did as a baby and that Olivia doesn’t get as much of me as she used to, I know that they have both gained so much more than I could ever give them of myself. They have both gained a best friend, a confidante, someone to share the journey of life with. They will teach each other about sharing, empathy and love. The moments they share together, learning, growing and laughing, are the ones that make it all worth it.

Curash Babycare offers a complete range of products to care for baby’s skin from top to bottom (literally). For the last 35 years they have been providing expert skincare, utilising local expertise and in consultation with Aussie mums to develop the range from nappy rash treatments to shampoo, soap free bath washes, baby wipes and more. You can find out more about the range of Curash products at the Curash website or by following them on Facebook or Instagram.

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